Troubleshooting Link Systems

Link systems enable an interaction between players and can considerably increase the popularity of games. So much so that some games perform well only when they are linked. Usually up to eight machines can be linked together. A failure to link will usually disable all the machines in the link chain and therefore it is important to be able to isolate the problem efficiently and quickly restore the operation of the machines. Different manufacturers use different ways of linking machines together however, there are some general rules we can follow when link problems occur.

CHECK WHETHER THE MACHINES ARE SET UP CORRECTLY FOR THE LINK MODE.

Usually one machine is required to be set as a master, the other(s) as a slave. Depending on the particular machine you may be required to set an ID number, how many machines are in the link chain, the car colour, number of laps etc. Check the Operators Manual what are the required adjustments.

CHECK WHETHER THE LINK CABLES ARE OKAY AND CONNECTED TO THE CORRECT CONNECTORS ON EACH MACHINE.

The link cables can get damaged, inspect them, check the continuity with your multimeter.

ISOLATE THE PROBLEM BY SPLITTING THE LINK CHAIN INTO SMALLER CHAINS.

You can split chain of eight machines into two sets of four machines and see which set of the four machines will fail to link. Then divide the faulty chain further into two sets of two machines. This will help you to narrow down the problem to a particular machine. You can take the faulty machine out of the chain and the rest link back together.